大象传媒

OPENING ANNOUNCEMENT
At ten past eight it鈥檚 time for Sunday Worship on Radio 4 and 大象传媒 Sounds. Today, continuing the Lent theme of the Lord鈥檚 Prayer,听 it comes from Northern Ireland.

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Script of Programme:

Please note: This script may not exactly reflect the transmission. It may include editorial notes prepared by the producer, and minor spelling and other errors.

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Music: Guide me O Thou Great Jehovah (CWM RHONNDA)

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Susan McKay:

Bread of heaven- feed me now and evermore.

Suitable words for this morning鈥檚 service from Belfast with me Susan McKay as we continue our Sunday Worship Lent series on the Lord鈥檚 Prayer鈥攁nd today we鈥檙e thinking about the petition 鈥淕ive us this our daily bread鈥�.
You are very welcome. I鈥檓 joined today by the New Irish Choir along with some of the string players from the New Irish orchestra.

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During the lock downs papers, magazines, television and radio were full of ideas and suggestions about things we should do to maintain our physical fitness and mental well being in strange times- everything from how to grow plants in a window box to finding out the equivalent of walking three or four miles without leaving the house and baking bread. Thousands of people it

seems discovered or maybe rediscovered the joy and frustrations of making their own bread; so many that there was a shortage of flour for a while.

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It probably goes without saying that bread- food in general- is essential to life. That鈥檚 recognized in the Bible along with the recognition that it is God who provides it. When the Israelites were journeying through the wilderness after the Exodus from Egypt, they began to complain about a lack of food with some of them saying they would have been better if they had been killed back in Egypt where at least food was plentiful. And God told Moses He would rain down bread from heaven for them and so manna appeared- just sufficient for one day or two the day before the Sabbath.

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And in the New Testament, particularly in the Fourth Gospel, the word bread can take on even deeper, symbolic meaning. Jesus said:

I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

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听Music: I waited for the Lord (Mendelssohn)

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Susan McKay Let us pray

God our Father, your love is at work in all you have made.

Son of God, in your likeness, we are made new

Holy Spirit, you touch our lives with hope.

Throughout the ages you have cared for your people

feeding them with ordinary bread and with the Bread of Life, even Jesus Christ!

To you, Father Son and Spirit, one God belongs glory and praise, for ever.

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Lord, we have sinned against you and our fellow women and men

through ignorance, through weakness, through our own deliberate fault.

We have belittled your love and betrayed your trust.

We have used your gifts carelessly and acted ungratefully.

We have eaten our food without giving you thanks.

While we may be full and satisfied, we can ignore the cries of the hungry.

We have often grumbled about what we already have and complained that we didn鈥檛鈥� have more

We have often pampered ourselves with fancy food but neglected to feed on the Bread of Life.

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Father, we admit our faults and mistakes and as you have promised forgiveness to those who are truly sorry for having lived wrongly, we ask for the assurance of your pardon, Purge us from selfishness, greed and pride and purify our hearts from all that blinds us to your presence. That we may see your hand at work in the world and rejoice in your goodness.

Through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen

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Bread of course plays an important part in the Sacrament of Holy Communion- indeed some denominations refer to it as the Breaking of Bread. Our next hymn asks that Jesus would break bread for us and then Ken Clarke, the former Bishop of Kilmore, Elphin and Ardagh will preach.

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Music: Break Thou The Bread of Life (Sherwin)

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Bishop Ken Clarke: An appropriate hymn, I think right now as we reflect on those words Jesus taught us to pray鈥︹�滸ive us this day our daily bread.鈥�

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It might sound a strange request in the ears of those who live in luxury and affluence and who can buy anything they want. But it鈥檚 a heartfelt request from millions in our world who wake up in the morning hungry and their waking thought is 鈥� 鈥淲here will I find food today for my family and if possible myself?

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We live in a world of total contrasts, most certainly when it comes to lifestyles and ways of living. I will never forget visiting some South American countries with Archbishop Robin Eames through SAMS the South American Mission Society. In one very large city in Brazil we visited a Church which had been established literally beside a rubbish dump. We will never forget the heartbreaking scenes of watching children and others walking through the mountains of rubbish trying to find scraps of food or anything which they could sell to get money for food. Archbishop Eames said, 鈥淚 thought I was standing on the edge of hell!鈥�

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Contrast that with what were the two of the most frequently asked questions in an affluent country north of Brazil鈥�.

鈥淗ow can I lose weight?

鈥� Where can I park my car?鈥�

I can鈥檛 help wondering How those questions might

sound in the ears of a God who hears the cries of starving children?

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Many of us seem to forget that according to the Bible some of the primary sins of the people of Sodom were that they were 鈥渁rrogant overfed and unconcerned鈥�they did not care for the poor and the needy!鈥� Now that is uncomfortable reading! Being really honest鈥�.how would we answer this question鈥�..Am I hearing the cries and shrieks of the poor and needy in our 21st Century world today?听 Or am I arrogant overfed and unconcerned?

If we pray these words Jesus taught us to pray and mean what we pray then we are expressing concern鈥�because, and this is very important鈥� He did not teach us to pray 鈥�Give ME this day our daily bread鈥�No it is Give US! We include all our fellow human beings wherever they are, however they are. In praying these words we think beyond ourselves, just as Jesus did. He was the most selfless person who ever lived. He cared for the hungry, the hurting and the hopeless. He reached out to those in desperate need. When a huge crowd gathered and they had no food to eat 鈥�

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Reader: (Luke 9: 11ff 听Jesus welcomed the crowds and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing.

听Late in the afternoon the Twelve came to him and said, 鈥淪end the crowd away so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside and find food and lodging, because we are in a remote place here.鈥�

He replied, 鈥淵ou give them something to eat.鈥�

They answered, 鈥淲e have only five loaves of bread and two fish鈥攗nless we go and buy food for all this crowd.鈥� 听About five thousand men were there.

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Bishop Clarke: 听And the rest is history! All were fed and there was even food left over! Jesus Christ cares deeply for us. He cares for our emotional needs our mental needs our spiritual needs and He cares for our physical needs. He has taught us to pray about them. He cares when we are struggling to find food to eat. He cares when we can鈥檛 pay our Bills. He cares when the cost of living is overwhelming, as it now is for so many. Don鈥檛 try to go it alone. We were not created to bear these pressures and worries alone. The Lord鈥檚 Prayer began with two words鈥� 鈥淥ur Father鈥︹�� Jesus wants us to run to Him, fall into His arms and discover His grace鈥�.We can run to a Father who really loves us鈥�.

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Music: 听Run to the Father (Cody Jay Carnes / Matt Maher / Ran Matthew Jackson)

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Bishop Clarke: Thank God for a Father who treasures His children and gives us our daily bread鈥�the essentials we need. Listen to these words of Jesus鈥︹��

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Reader: (Matthew 6:25)听鈥淭herefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?听Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 听Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

听鈥淎nd why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 听Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendour was dressed like one of these. 听If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you鈥攜ou of little faith? 听So do not worry, saying, 鈥榃hat shall we eat?鈥� or 鈥榃hat shall we drink?鈥� or 鈥榃hat shall we wear?鈥� 听For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 听But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

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Bishop Clarke: Jesus is teaching us to be a people who trust Him, rely on Him, depend on Him. He is helping us to realise that God is our Creator but He is more than that鈥�.He is our Provider, Sustainer, He is a giving God. From Him comes our daily bread and by asking Him for it we are expressing our dependence on Him. We are turning our backs on the selfish arrogance of a ferocious independence. We are rejecting the spirit of 鈥淚 can make it alone!鈥� We are acknowledging that we are the created鈥�not the Creator! He is the Father and we are the children, and so we run to our Father and acknowledge Him to be the true and living Sovereign God.

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We are also recognising that each day we need what He gives. 鈥�we are praying about daily dependance because we are asking for our daily bread鈥�.not a year鈥檚 supply!

This gets to heart of what it means to be a Christian and a disciple of Jesus Christ.听 It is not a one day a week paying of respect at a Sunday Service, or an annual visit to a Christmas service. It is a 24/7 wholehearted commitment to put Him first, know and serve Him as our Saviour Lord Teacher and Friend. He revealed Himself as the Bread of Life鈥�the One we all need.听 He is the sin Forgiver and the new life Giver. He said,鈥淚 am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.鈥�

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Christians all over the world have discovered that in one sense Jesus Himself is our daily Bread鈥�He gives us strength in our weakness, friendship in our loneliness, forgiveness of our sinfulness, hope in our struggles, wisdom in our decision making. He is there for us!

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I will never forget my first Sunday as a Bishop. I was so nervous and had a moment of utter panic just before the Sunday Service when I thought of the responsibilities I had taken on and that 鈥渢he buck now ended with me.鈥� It was a moment of complete terror and loneliness. And then into my mind came those wonderful words from St Patrick鈥檚 breastplate鈥�Christ with me Christ before me Christ behind me Christ in me. The daily bread of God鈥檚 peace and strength invaded my soul! The fear was gone. When we pray with sincerity and humility those simple words鈥� 鈥淥ur Father, give us this day our daily bread..鈥� 鈥�There is no knowing what can happen!听 Arise and Pray!

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Music 听The Deer鈥檚 Cry (Shaun Davey)

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Let us pray

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Readers: Lord we pray for your Church throughout the world, in its stand with the poor, in ts love for the outcast and the ashamed , in its service to the sick and neglected that it may meet the needs, spiritual and physical of people and offer them the Bread f Life.

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We pray for the King and all in positions of leadership and authority, thinking 听particularly of those who are assessing the Windsor Framework 听at this time that they may reflect wisely, guided by your Spirit and upheld by your grace.

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We pray for the hungry for 听the millions of our fellow women and men who starve while we waste our bread and show us, who have so much, what we can do to help whose who have so little; guide and prosper the efforts of all who plan relief, give aid and work for development so that your justice may extend over all the earth and the needs of all human kind be supplied.

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We pray for all who gather food, distribute it, process and prepare it. By the result of their labour, may our needs be met, our lives nourished and our hands opened in generosity to the needs of others.

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We pray for the nations of the world, especially for those places overcome by violence, asking yhat your ways of truth and justice may be followed that r=they may be free from bitterness and strife and by the power of your love, live in peace.

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We remember those who are sick, in troubles or sad because someone they love has died or who are full of anxiety about a relative or friend 听(thinking now of the police inspector shot in Omagh) Give them your support and comfort them, we pray..

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Susan McKay :Father God, your son Jesus Christ fed the hungry with the bread of His lfe.

and the word of his Kingdom

Renew your people with your heavenly grace and in all our weakness

sustain us by the true and living bread听 Jesus Christ your Son our Lord who taught us when we pray to say

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name 听听听听听听听听

Thy kingdom come Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 听听听听听

Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil for Thine is the kingdom the power and the glory for ever and ever.听 Amen

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Bishop Clarke听 Blessing

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Music: All Glory be to Christ (Scottish Traditional)

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CLOSING ANNOUNCEMENT

Sunday Worship from Northern Ireland was led by Susan McKay.* The preacher was Bishop Ken Clarke and the New Irish Choir was directed by Jonathan Rea. You can hear that service on 大象传媒 Sounds for a month or for more information, search bbc.co.uk/sundayworship听

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The producer was Bert Tosh.

Next week in Sunday Worship on Mothering Sunday from Guildford Cathedral,听 the Lent theme of the Lord's Prayer focusses on the phrase 'As we forgive'.